Duties of the Tailors of St Andrew’s Priory, Rochester, c.1235

Translation

Concerning the tailors: what they ought to do:

It is the responsibility of the master of the tailor’s workshop to measure all the new clothing of the monks, and, after measuring, to make sure they are properly cut for purpose.  He has the responsibility for the skins used for garments and with the help of his assistants constructs and supplies those things that are ready for distributing.  If, however, they need further help, the chamberlain will aid them with one man only, and everything useful for the skins that are to be prepared he will find.  He [the master tailor] will have bran from the bakery, three level minas per three bakings, as the fine flours of the monks fall from the bolting sieve. Thread, needles, scissors and shears the master must keep under his guard; and when necessary this responsibility is handed over to his associates.  His wage is 7 shillings.  He has in fact two associates.  Each one of them has a wage of 4 shillings. The master is worked the same as his associates.  It is his responsibility to sew the brothers’ names into their outer garments and into the hoods of the novices.  The aforementioned three ought to have a wooden log before the Nativity of the Lord, which is called by the English the Christmas fire. They must help at the hay harvest, and collect the tithes, if the chamberlain wishes or orders it, or otherwise carry out his command when the need arises.  When the novices are professing, they have the master’s old hoods which had been over their outer garments. If the chamberlain goes off to London or to Winton for the purpose of buying cloth, one of the aforementioned three servants will go with him, the one who better understands how to choose and buy white or black cloth.  Traditionally, this is usually done three times in the year, and the chamberlain, thereupon, will have from the granary three horses prepared, when he goes off and when he returns.  The sub-chamberlain will have to speak face to face with the chamberlain concerning purchases and expenses.

Bran: evidently used for making laundry starch; measured by the mina, equivalent to 5 bushels (see note below on mina, seam).